Bernard and the Genie (1992)

Sacked, jilted, his apartment stripped bare...it's just not Bernard Bottle's day. all he has left is an old Arabic lamp, and when he gives it a good polish, the ensuing explosion puts him in a hospital. He returns home - to a very large genie (Lenny Hen

Genie-ous

This is a Christmas classic that ranks up there with The Irony of Fate or Have a Nice Steam Bath. The actors sparkle. The plot is magical. July 16, 2008

Bernard and the Genie

This is a great movie in the British Comedy tradition. The songs are wonderful. Rowen Atkinson plays a very good villian and the rest of the cast is terrific. There is something new to catch each time you watch it. My whole family really enjoys it. March 29, 2008

One of the funniest Christmas movies

Bernard and the Genie is a little known BBC telemovie running just over an hour. Featuring Alan Cumming as Bernard, we follow Cumming as he experiences a really, really bad day. After losing his job and discovering his girlfriend is having an affair with his best friend, Bernard uncovers a genie hidden in a lamp. Lenny Henry is superb as the 2000 year old genie who is yet to discover the wonders of contemporary music, icecream, McDonalds, the cinema and the modern Christmas.

Highly recommended and certainly one of the best Christmas movies around. It was worth all of the effort used in tracking down a copy! December 13, 2007

Josephus!

Bernard and the Genie is a family favorite. Its been our tradition to watch this film every Christmas and no matter how many times we see it, it will never get old.
This inspired tale of a down on his luck art dealer and a fantastically over the rambunctious Genie not only will have you laughing at some good clean humor but get you into the Christmas mood as well.
The quality of the DVD isn't all that great, probably because the original film may have been lost, and as such the transfer had to be made from a VHS copy, but its a detail that can easily be looked past for the brilliance of this movie.
Lenny Henry steals the show as the ridiculously outspoken and lovable Genie Josephus!
The rest of the cast is excellently played, including Alan Cummings portrayal of poor Bernard, who finds out what Christmas really means after spending it with a 2000 year old Genie.
Rowan Atkinson plays Bernards vile and villainous employer, as the Art dealer Charles Pinkworth.

In short, this is an excellent film, one that captures the holiday spirit in an original and hilarious way. November 30, 2007

Benard and the Genie

Being a fan of Rowin Akinson(Mr.Bean) i was really surprised - this is a great Christmas Story. So when this story was finally released on DVD here in America - I was so pleased.

It tells the tale of a man - Bernard (Alan Cumming) who works for an art firm run by Akinson. After refusing to tell the sorce of new undiscovered art treasures he is fired. Then he loses his girlfriend. All he has left is a lamp, and when he rubs it - a genie comes into his life (Lenny Henry).

This is a great story - that shows the true meaning of Christmas - love, friendship and Jesus - and may even bring a tear to your eye at the end.

Five Stars! September 30, 2007

More reviews at Amazon.com ...